Help the Cause: Turn Event Bags into Masks

Did you know that nonwoven polypropylene—the same material used for many conference bags and reusable grocery bags—is a great fabric for making face masks that combat the spread of COVID-19?

A volunteer organization called MakerMask has a website that explains the science, offers downloadable patterns for mask makers, and is ready to take conference-bag contributions from groups.

Erika Brown Wagner, communications lead for MakerMask, is helping to scale up the community mask-making. “One of the things we have found is that trading out cotton masks for non-woven polypropylene provides a helpful droplet barrier for blocking transmission. And it turns out the best source of this NWPP in our communities is actually reusable conference/grocery bags.”

If your organization has bags headed to the landfill because of recent cancellations, or leftovers from last year’s conference, consider donating them to a great cause. Contact Brown Wager at info@makermask.org who will match donations with mask makers located around the U.S.